Pressure sulphur burner



April 1929,

H. HOWARD PRESSURE SULPHUR BURNER Filed March 21, 1927 gnven iotz Patent Ar. 9, l

COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND,

OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GBASSELLI CHEMICAL OHIO, A CORPORATION OF-OHIO.

PRESSURE SULPHUR BURNER.

This invention relates to a stationary elemental sulphur burner capable of working against superatmospheric pressures.

An ob'ect of the invention is to rovide a sulphur urner which is capable oi produc ing a gaseous mixture containing a high percentage of sulphur dioxide gas free from sublimed sulphur, which burner is adapted to workin against superatmospheric pressures.

Anot er object of the invention is to rovide a sulphur burner which is adapte to deliver sulphur dioxide-containing gas in regulated quantities having a constant sulphur dioxide content. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a sulphur burner which is simple, e'fiicient and economical in operation and of low construction cost.

I have found that, by in roducing regu-' lated predetermined quantities of molten sulphur and an oxygen-containing gas,-as for example a1r,under superatmospheric pressure into asuitably constructed chamber adapted to conserve substantially all of the heat ofcombustion of sulphur, the said heat of combustion may serve to vaporize substantially completely the incoming molten sulphur which, in intimate admixture with the oxygen-containing gas and at the temperature maintained within the chamber, burns very quickly to the formation of a sulphur dioxide-containing as of constant, predetermined, sulphur dioxide content tree from sublimed sulphur in ages having a iglphur dioxide content not greater than The invention will be described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which is shown somewhat diagrammatically one form of apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus, with parts ap caring in elevation;

' Figure 2 is a bro en horizontal sectional View taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a broken vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the spiral mixing port 5 of F1 1.

Referring to the rawings:

The burner comprises a chamber consisting of an air-tight outer cylindrical shell 1 constructed of suitable material, as, for exam le, steel, lined with heatterlal such as, for example, firebrick z, and provided with arched partitions 3 and 4 dividing the said chamber into three superimposed compartments A, B and C. The arched partitions 3 and 4 may be con structed of firebrick, but I prefer to make use of a highly heat-conductive refractory material, such as, for example, the material known as Carbofrax for the construction of the arched partition 3. 5 is a spiral mixing port located in the center of the arched partition 3, providing a passageway from compartment A to compartment B. Passageways from compartment B to compartment 0 are provided by a series of ports 6 located around the periphery of the arched partition 4. 7 is a flue in communication with compartment C through the side ports 8, and leading to thelexit conduit 9. 10 and 11 are inspection and cleanout ports. 12 is a conduit for the introduction of regulated quantities of air preferably from a positive displacement pump under super-atmospheric pressure, into the compartment A, conduit preferably is positioned tangentially with respect to the burner. The tangential positioning of conduit 12 is not an essential element of the invention, as the spiral mixing port 5 insures thorough mixing of the air and the vaporized sulphur.

13 is a melting tank 1providing maintenance of a supply of mb ten sulphur. The melting tank 13 is provided with any suitable means for maintaining sulphur irrmolten state preferably at maximum flu dity. The heat necessary to maintain the body of sulphur at maximum fluidity conveniently may be obtained by means of saturated steam at 75 to 100 pounds pressure either in a coil or jacket or both (not shown). Means are provided for delivering regulated amounts of molten sulphur into the compartment A, ainst superatmospheric ressure therein maintained, re resented by t e open.- ing it in the top of t 1e burner, the conduit 15, and the positive displacement pump 16 submerged in the body of molten sulphur contained in the tank 13. This tank preferably is located with its top level with the 17 is an opening in the cover ground.

which the sulphur may be dum ed.

through insulatin mawhich The top of the burner is heat-insulate by requisite'oxygen is present.

a sand fill 18. 19 and 20 are aligned manholes in the shell 1 and lining 2, respectively.

the arched partition 3, where it is given a further mixing which insures its practically complete combustion as it emerges intocompartment'l). The thoroughly mixed and Very hot gases, streaming from the spiral mixing port 5, burn any traces of free sulphur in the compartment B producing a gaseous mixture comprising sulphur dioxide,

. nitrogen and free oxygen, and thereby generating. snflicient heat not only for the substantially complete volatilization of further quantities of molten sulphur delivered upon the heat-coiu'lucti\e arched partition 3, but also to provide a considerably larger surplus of heat than is obtained from the commonly used type of sulphur burner, ow ing to the very smallradiation losses due partly to the high rate of combustion and partly to the reduced radiating surface of the burner.

The combustion gases formed in B, especially when very rich in sulphur dioxide and containing a very small excess of oxygen beyond that required to convert the sulphur to sulphur dioxide, may still contain some unburnedsulphur vapor. These pass from compartment B through the series of ports 6 into compartment C, where the last traces of uneombined sulphur are burned to sulphur dioxide, provided of course that the It is afaet that, in ordinary operation, practically all of the combustion of the vaporized sulphur is complete before the gases leave compartment B. Much burning will occur in compartment A, although this serves essentially as the vaporizing and mixing chamber. The combustion gases which are now free from unburned sulphur, pass from compartment ,G into the fine 7, through the side ports 8, and are conducted to the point of use through conduit 9.

An essential feature in the design of this burner is tl" e downward path given the gases in, the combustion chamber,-the hottest gases naturally are those still burning and, as the heat makes them lighter, they rise as high as possible and therefore are automatically kept away from the outlet fine, thereby mospee forcing the completely burned. and relativelycooler gases continuqusly into the outlet flue.

r The particular advantages accruing. from the use of this burner are as follows:

1. The air and molten sulphur are introduced into the burner in regulated amounts, and since all the sulphur vaporizes and burns almost intsantly, regulated quantities of a sulphur dioxide-containing gaseous mixture are obtained.

2. By the regulation of the relative amounts of air and molten sulphur so introduced, it is possible to obtain a sulphur dioxide-containing mixture having any desired concentration ofv sulphur dioxide up to almost the theoretical limit possible with airor such other oxygen source as may be used. I

3. The substantially complete vaporization of the moltensulphur introduced into compartment A is assured by conserving in the burner the heat generated by the combustion, so that there is very little if any opportunity for a pool of molten sulphur to accumulate upon the arched partition 3. The practically instantaneous vaporization effected by the conserved heat of combustion permits of a uniform and controllable rate of combustion of the sulphur and the consequent production of a uniform and con- 'trollable composition of the sulphur dioxidecontaining gaseous mixture. I

4:. The vaporized sulphur is very thoroughly mixed with the air first by admitting the latter tangentially into the mixing chamber under superatmospheric pressure, and second by subjecting the gaseous mixture to an exceedingly thorough mixing action by the passage thereof through the spiral mixing port 5. This thorough mixing greatly shortens the time and correspondingly reduces the space required for the complete combustion of the sulphur.

5. The opportunity for the accumulation of impurities within the burner is slight, in

view of the fact that the sulphur is melted before being introduced into the burner and the separation of any impurities contained in the raw material takes place largely in the melting tank 13, which is outside of the burner proper.

6. 'By the normal operation of this burner there is delivered a supply of sulphur dioxide-containing gas under superatmospheric pressure.

7. A particular advantage is the simplicity and low'construction cost of the apparatus, which is free of moving parts within the burner proper.

While, according to the foregoing description, there has been described a particular means for delivering to the burner molten sulphur in regulated quantities, it is to be understood that the invention is not atmospheric pressurethrough said aaoaeea limited thereto, and that any suitable means may be used for deliglering regulated quantities of molten sulphur against the pressure maintained in the burner. Also, while it is preferred that the burner be cylindrical in cross-section, it probably could be made in rectangular, square, octagonal, etc, crosssection at no material increase in cost and without materially impairing the eiliciency of the burner.

I claim: I

1. A sulphur burner comprising a vertically disposed, cylindrical, heat-insulated chamber divided by substantially horizontal partitions into at least two compartments, said partitions provided with ports establishing connnunication between said compartments, the port in the partition forming the bottom of the topmost compartment being a spiral mixing port, a conduit projecting into the topmost 0t said compartments, means for supplying air under superconduit, a second conduit entering said topmost-oompartment, means for supplying molten sulphur through said second conduit, and a gas conduit communicating with the bottommost of said compartments.

2. A sulphur burner pomprising a vertically disposed, cylindrical, heat-insulated chamber divided by two spaced-apart substantially horizontal partitions into an upper mixing compartment, a middle combustion compartment, and a bottom combustion compartment, a spiral mixing port adjacent the center of theupper of said two partitions, a plurality of ports adjacent the periphery of the lower of said two partitions, means for supplying said mixin r compartment with a regulated quantity of molten sulphur, means for supplying said mixing compartment with a regulated supply of air under superatmospheric pressure, and a gas outlet from the bottom combustion chamber.

3. A sulphur burner comprising a vertically disposed, heat insulated, pressure resisting chamber having a vaporizing and burning section at the top thereof, at least one combustion section below said vaporizing and burning section, means for'introducing air and sulphur under superatmospheric pressure into said vaporizing and burning section and means for withdrawing products of combustion at the bottom vof the combustion chamber. l i

In testimony whereof I afiix no signature.

HENRY H WARD. 

